All comments and criticisms appreciated. You can contact me at sommer@3rdm.net

I stumbled on this forgotten story recently. It was done about two or
three years ago back when I first finished Shampoo ½. Touched it up
a bit (a lot actually. Nice to know I've come some ways since then) but
that was when the idea was formed, so it might be a bit rough.

"Ranma, you have to stop picking on Ryouga," Akane scolded.

Ranma held his hands up defensively as he casually strolled along the
top of the fence on their way to school. "I did not pick on him.
He's the one that was shooting his mouth off about having a new 'invincible'
technique. I had to see how good it was."

"Wasn't blowing up a mountain and beating Saffron enough to prove
how good you are?" Akane huffed.

Ranma shook his head at his fiancée's lack of understanding. "But
Ryouga was acting like he thought he could really take me. I just had
to know for sure."

"You could have gone easier on him."

"I did," Ranma assured her. "He was back up on his feet
in five minutes. I still can't believe he thought that 'Soul of Ice' stuff
could beat me." Ranma mumbled as they passed by a withered old man
who in some vague way reminded Ranma of Happosai. It was probably with
the shifty look he had. Worse, it seemed the old man's attention was focused
on Ranma intently. He was about to ask what the stranger was looking at
when Akane spoke again.

"You sound disappointed."

Ranma returned his attention to the conversation. "Well, it's not
like anyone outside of the old lech has been able to give me a run for
the money anymore. And even he's a little more cautious around me. Another
year or so, and I might even be able to take him in a straight fight instead
of having to resort to turning into a girl and wearing a bathing suit
to distract him and stuff."

"You have no shame," Akane grumbled.

"If you know another way to beat the freak, let me in on it."
Ranma said.

"You just don't get it." Akane held her tongue on how embarrassing
it was to have a fiancé who would do anything to win as badly as Ranma
did.

Akane was more right than she knew. Ranma was about to ask what she meant
when a loud noise from the direction of the school caught both of their
attentions. They glanced at one another, than ran quickly in the direction
of the school.

In under a minute they passed through the gate and entered the school
grounds and saw what the source of the commotion was. A man in his early
twenties, unremarkable in appearance, save that he wore an elaborate-looking
red gi that had a pair of golden lions embroidered on the front, held
the splintered remains of a bokken in his hand. Kunou lay at his feet,
obviously knocked senseless by the stranger.

"That'll teach you to threaten me with a giant toothpick, you jerk."
The stranger's voice was as unremarkable as his appearance.

Some of the student body, whose eyes were not solely focused upon the
beating Kunou had suffered, noticed Akane, and more importantly, Ranma's
approach. One of the girls shouted out, "There's Ranma Saotome,"
and pointed directly at him.

The stranger, who had seemed mildly annoyed by the attention that Kunou
had directed to him, now seemed delighted. "At last, I finally get
to meet the infamous Ranma Saotome."

The stranger looked the object of his interest over once, and Ranma,
sensing what was to come, did the same. "Okay, exactly what is it
you think I did to you that set you off?"

The stranger looked quizzically at Ranma. "I beg your pardon?"

"Okay, what did Pop do to you that's made you come looking for me?"

The stranger's confusion doubled. "What does your father have to
do with this?"

Ranma looked at him curiously. Maybe things were not what they initially
appeared to be. "You mean you're looking around for me and don't
have a grudge or something against me or Pop? Maybe you got something
against someone I know and want to use me to get at them?"

The Stranger shrugged helplessly. "Unless you're related to or are
friends with Kachinko Sukimada, who stood me up for my senior prom, no,
I don't have anything against you, any members of family, or anyone you
know."

Now the man's posture changed from confusion to confidence. "Rumor
has it you defeated the self-proclaimed god of the Phoenix people, Saffron."

Ranma caught a worried glance from Akane as the memory of the fight intruded
on both of their thoughts. Subconsciously, he moved closer to her. "Yeah,
I did."

A cry of delight emerged from the man. "Excellent, I challenge you
to a fight."

"Now wait a minute! I thought you said you didn't bear me any grudges?"
Ranma shouted.

"I don't."

"Then why do you want to fight me over beating Saffron?"

It took a moment for the man to grasp what Ranma was saying. "Oh,
no. You're misunderstanding me. I don't want to challenge in revenge or
anything like that. I never met Saffron. I'm challenging you because you
defeated him, which shows that you're a martial artist of the highest
caliber. I want to test my skills against yours and see who the superior
fighter is."

Ranma weighed fighting him versus when classes would start. There was
no way he wanted to be late again. Carrying water buckets three times
in the same week was a bit much, even for him. "You're probably not
going to leave me alone unless I agree to a fight, will you?"

The stranger smiled. "Well, if you get down on your knees and acknowledge
I'm your better, I'll accept that. I can understand if you don't want
to fight me. I am very powerful, and I wouldn't want to see you hurt."

Akane rolled her eyes at that. She knew what was to come, and after she
had decided that morning to try to talk Ranma into not blindly fighting
people. It was just her luck. Still, that last bit from the stranger was
over the edge. She could understand Ranma's need to accept the challenge
after that insult to his pride.

Ranma faced off against the stranger and smirked. "I'm going to
have to deal with you quick. I got class in," he looked at the watch
Akane had bought for him on his birthday. "Fifteen minutes."

The stranger wasn't the least bit intimidated. "I'll make it quick,
then. We fight until someone gives up or is obviously defeated, fair enough?"

Ranma nodded. "That works. What's your name?"

"Takeshi Kunakida. Unlimited Class Style of fighting. I've heard
it said you practice the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts?"

"Yep."

"Interesting. I look forward to seeing it, if only briefly."

"You don't know how right you are." And with that, Ranma attacked.
Uncertain of exactly how skilled his opponent was (despite obviously dealing
with Kunou in a minimum of fuss) Ranma held something back as he used
a series of high sweeping blows. All were deflected and avoided with only
a minimum of effort on the part of Takeshi. Reevaluating his opponent,
Ranma attacked again using faster and more powerful techniques, figuring
he would slip three or four blows through and hoped they would be enough
to slow down or possibly defeat his opponent. However, once again not
a single blow came close to landing.

"And here I thought you wanted to end things fast." Takeshi
gave a cocksure grin.

Grimacing briefly at the show of bravado, Ranma planned to unleash a
five hit combination that he was sure would knock Takeshi on his rear
end. But even before Ranma could throw the first blow, he saw a blur come
in under his guard. The next sensation he was aware of was a sledgehammer-like
fist that smashed into his jaw and sent him flying through the air. He
was too dazed to land on his feet, and instead crashed facefirst into
the hard turf.

'Ryouga,' Was all Ranma's scrambled brain could think of before enough
of his senses returned to remember who he was fighting. The guy hit harder
than Ryouga, though it didn't appear his somewhat slender form could possess
that level of raw power. It must have been a lucky shot. Recovering quickly
despite the force of the blow, Ranma returned to his feet and prepared
for the next attack.

He did not have long to wait. Takeshi came in, a series of blinding quick
punches and kicks. Ranma deflected only the first two before a fist struck
his gut, doubling him over and setting him up for the follow-up kick to
his chest which again sent him crashing several feet away.

"That was stupid. If you're trying to lull me into a false sense
of confidence, it won't work," Takeshi said as he cautiously approached
again.

Ranma could scarcely believe his ears. 'False sense of confidence?' It
had to have been a show of bravado on Takeshi's part, though the comment
was delivered with enough seriousness to sound genuine.

The two faced off again. Ranma tried to throw a punch, but Takeshi beat
him by snapping a backfist to the face that, while not carrying the power
the first one did, hurt enough to negate Ranma's attack. Takeshi was a
blur as he ducked under Ranma's kick, then lashed out with a kick of his
own while Ranma's was still in mid-air. It connected with the leg Ranma
was using to stand on and knocked him off his feet. Even as he was falling
Takeshi blurred again as he rose back up to his vertical base using only
one leg while the other, the one he had used to strike Ranma, was still
in motion. It swung high in a wide arc to build up momentum. The kick
ended its downward arc on Ranma's stomach just as he met the ground, knocking
every bit of wind out of his lungs. It was more instinct than conscious
thought that allowed Ranma to roll away as he was left gasping for air.

"Ranma!" Akane cried out as the rest of the school gaped at
what was happening. Not since the moxibustion point had Ranma been manhandled
so easily.

"This is ridiculous," Takeshi said disdainfully. "I hate
people that waste my time almost as much as I hate liars, punk."

Takeshi moved in again, attacking solely with his right hand. It was
to Ranma's credit that he parried the first four blows. However, they
merely proved a set up for Takeshi's left as it snaked in again past Ranma's
guard and struck him above the heart, sending Ranma backpedaling, his
arms flailing as he fought to stay on his feet. A bright pain flared in
Ranma's chest as he swore his heart stopped for a moment before starting
again.

The disdain in Takeshi's eyes grew. "Admit it, punk. You lied about
beating Saffron. You just said it to make yourself sound like hot shit
to the ladies."

"I beat him," Ranma snarled. His fist was batted away and Takeshi
retaliated with a kick. Ranma could tell from the moment it was thrown
that it would not connect. However, as the foot went past, missing Ranma
by the centimeters he had predicted, the wind from its wake proved sharp
enough to slice through his shirt and draw blood from underneath. A tiny
trickle of blood began decorating his shirt, making it a deeper red than
before.

"Liar! He'd have fried you with one to two blasts." Takeshi
grabbed Ranma's snap punch out of mid-air with his left while simultaneously
bringing his right hand up and into Ranma's elbow, nearly breaking the
limb and numbing it to the point that his opponent couldn't move it. Ranma
backed away, avoiding the follow up attack to that.

"Stop it!" The cry came from Akane, who knew how the fight
would turn out long before Ranma did. It wasn't merely a question of Ranma
being overpowered. He was being beaten in every aspect of the contest:
speed, strength, and skill. It was unbelievable that her fiancé could
be manhandled so casually, but it was happening before her eyes. He stood
no chance of victory unless a bolt of lighting came down from the heavens
and hit Takeshi, and even then she was uncertain if that would have been
enough for Ranma to win.

Takeshi snorted in disgust. "Bullshit. This liar would have died
in under a minute against Saffron. He'd have been overpowered and unprotected."

"He had the Gekkaja. It's a magical object that protected him from
Saffron's fire blasts." Akane refrained from also telling him about
the enchantment that had been placed upon her that had allowed her to
protect Ranma later in the fight. That he might not believe. Sometimes
even she couldn't believe the coincidence of the 'curse' that was intended
to kill her also enabled her to be the only one that could protect her
fiancé from harm.

That made Takeshi stop short. He closed his eyes, obviously trying to
think of something. At last he opened his eyes and said, "I remember
hearing about that when I was first told about the Phoenix people. Hell,
I could have beaten Saffron with one hand tied behind my back if I had
that to protect me. No wonder a wimp like you was able to take him."

Ranma trembled in rage at the accusation. Big talk from a lucky man.
And to make matters worse, Ranma saw the look in Akane's eyes when she
had pleaded with Takeshi to stop. She thought he was going to lose. She
thought he stood no chance of winning. That bothered him almost as much
as if he had actually lost. Maybe it was true he had lost some fights
before, but that was before Mount Phoenix and his current level of skill.
Since then no one had come close, and he certainly wasn't going to end
that streak now at the hands of this arrogant jerk.

Again Ranma attacked, using every ounce of speed the kachuu tenshen amagurikan
had imbued him with. Takeshi was surprised by the speed of the attack,
and two punches sneaked past his guard to land on him. Neither were very
effective, but Ranma could tell by the look of surprise on Takeshi's face
that he had at last gotten one in over his opponent.

Rather than immediately countering, Takeshi backed a good ten feet away,
openly impressed. "No one's touched me in almost three years. I almost
forgot what getting hit felt like. Can't say I cared much for it, though."

"If you thought that was bad, wait until you can see what this 'wimp'
can do now." Ranma smirked, his confidence restored. Takeshi's illusion
of invincibility was shattered. The man wasn't perfect. He could be defeated.
And all it would take was the right blow delivered in the right place
at the right time. And Ranma knew just which attack to use.

There was still five minutes to make it to class. It was time to end
it. A bright ball of blue energy coalesced in Ranma's hands as he shouted
out, "Moko Takabisha!" and the bright blast of chi left his
hands and headed for its target.

Rather than try to avoid the blast, Takeshi remained where he was, crossing
his arms in front of him and shouting out, "Raging Abyssal Vortex!"

Ranma saw the place where Takeshi's arms crossed his chest turn coal-black
a split-second before the Moko Takabisha impacted. Instead of the blue
energy hitting the man, it seemed to be drawn into the cross the man's
arms formed, sucking the chi down like whirlpool would a small dinghy.
Ranma stared in surprise at the maneuver, impressed even as his frustration
made him grind hit teeth in anger.

As the last of the energy was drawn into the cross Takeshi's arms formed,
his arms went from black to orange. "Back at you! Bursting Dam Reflection!"
Takeshi let loose a torrent of energy that had been stored up from the
first attack and reflected back at the source with the second. The energy
poured out orange, showing to all who the man was that controlled it.

The power of Ranma's own Moko Takabisha, as well as even more chi poured
into the move from Takeshi, hit Ranma full in the face, hurting him worse
than even Ryouga's Perfect Shi Shi Hokoudan did. There was nothing that
could compare to the pain he felt, not even from Saffron's inferno, as
he was leveled by the blast and fell to the ground, unable to move. Not
even a scream escaped him. Only stubborn refusal prevented Ranma from
falling into the darkness that was beckoning to him, and even then it
was almost not enough.

"That settles that." Takeshi smacked his hands together, as
though he had taken care of the matter as an afterthought.

"Not… over… yet!" Ranma gasped out as he tried to get to
his feet. No way was he being beaten by this arrogant ass who was rubbing
him wrong worse than Kunou ever did.

A hard kick met him in the stomach, sending him skidding across the ground
until the base of a statue of the Principal arrested his velocity when
he crashed hard into it, breaking off parts of the concrete. All Ranma
could manage to do was groan in pain, his body refusing to return to his
feet.

"How about now? Is it over now?" Takeshi nearly shouted, anger
returning to his voice as he approached Ranma again.

"Stop it! He's beaten!" Akane shouted as she rushed over to
Ranma's side.

"Not… yet." Ranma tried standing again. His legs were only
starting to obey his commands. It would take a few seconds to recover
this time, or so he told himself.

"Yes, you are." Akane pushed him back down. Ranma tried pushing
back, but he was too weak to resist.

Other voices joined with Akane's, mostly from other girls. "Only
a real loser would pick on someone that helpless. You should be better
than that."

With the attention of the girls being directed his way, as well as everyone
acknowledging he had won, Takeshi relaxed and began giving his 'victory
speech'. "I am pretty good, not that I don't know how to be modest.
I mean, I'm not perfect at everything, but I'm damn good at martial arts.
It's just hard to get a good match going anymore. I'm too good for all
but the most accomplished of masters, and even then they're only better
because they've got thirty years or so on me. It's almost a curse as much
as a blessing. I just kind of god mad because I was expecting a decent
fight for a change and ended up… this." He said the last disdainfully
as he waved a hand towards Ranma. "Still, you ladies are right. I'm
better than that sort of thing. It's nice to know so many of you are so
compassionate. Hard to find a gal like that these days." His attention
became completely focused on the girls surrounding him.

Ranma finally managed to get to his feet, completely humiliated. Now
everyone was gathering around the preening Takeshi, who was basking in
the attention, especially the girls. He had been forgotten by all but
Akane, who hovered over him worriedly. A bitter blade of jealousy stabbed
through his gut at how casually he was being disregarded by nearly everyone.
It wasn't that he had been rendered helpless, like with the moxibustion
point, he was helpless before the fight even started, and it ate away
at the core of him like nothing ever had.

"Ranma, just relax," Akane tried to soothe, but it had the
opposite effect on Ranma, whose pride was suffering far worse than his
body was.

She tried to push him back down, however some measure of strength had
returned to him, and he pushed back harder than he had intended, knocking
Akane onto her bottom. It wasn't a hard shove, but Akane misinterpreted
it as being intentional and gave Ranma a hurt look at the perceived rejection
of her assistance.

A part of Ranma realized this and felt he should apologize to her, but
the damage to his ego and thoughts of getting even overrode those feelings.
Instead his eyes were only for Takeshi and the crowd surrounding him.

Before Ranma could speak, Takeshi spotted him out of the corner of his
eye and spoke first. "You know something, kid, you're not bad. You
train hard and take your vitamins, and in five years or so you can challenge
me again and we'll see if you can't make me break into sweat next time."

What Ranma wanted to do was run over and wipe the smile off Takeshi's
face. Instead, accepting a truth he didn't want, for it would only embarrass
him further, Ranma turned away and leaped over the wall, barely clearing
it, and headed off before Akane or anyone else could follow him.

What had happened? He was on top of the world when he had come to school,
and in the span of ten minutes, it had all come crashing down on top of
him. He had not simply been beaten; he had been completely humiliated.
Takeshi had hit him at will and there had not been a thing Ranma could
have done to prevent it. It was as lopsided as when he fought Kunou, except
for the first time in his life he was the underdog in the comparison.
Even the two blows he had slipped past Takeshi's defenses were a fluke.
He hadn't stood a chance from the moment the first punch had been thrown.
Never had he been so badly overmatched. Not by anyone. Not Herb, not Ryu
Kumon, not even Saffron.

It wasn't fair!

"It looks to me like you got your ass kicked."

Ranma turned to look at the speaker. It was the old man that he had seen
on his way to school, standing in the same spot Ranma had seen him before.

"What do you know, old man?" Ranma snapped with far more anger
than he had ever used when talking to a complete stranger.

"I know that Takeshi Kunakida is an arrogant, overstuffed, overconfident
fool that needs to be taken down several dozen pegs."

The man knew? How? He hadn't been anywhere near where the fight took
place. "How did you know I fought him?"

The man lowered his head slightly, his emerald eyes, vibrant for one
so old, staring Ranma deep into his. The way the man looked at him, seeming
to look past his exterior and right inside him to all the feelings and
secrets that lay beneath, unsettled Ranma. "I know many things. I
know a way you can beat Takeshi."

Ranma stared at him suspiciously. "You know some technique that
can beat his style?"

"Even better. A technique would take time. I know how I can enable
you to defeat him today. No need to wait. No need to allow your anger
and rage to simmer and boil and make life miserable until you avenge yourself."

A part of Ranma wanted to jump at the opportunity and accept, but he
wasn't that stupid. "What's the catch?"

"No catch." The man stated plainly.

"The heck there isn't. No one comes out of nowhere and offers to
help me beat some guy without wanting something from me in return."

The old man made a snort Ranma had never heard come from another being
before. It was an animalistic snarl that somehow held a mix of disgust
and contempt at the same time. Ranma could almost feel dark emotions wash
over him in a wave. "You. You think it's always about you. Well,
I hate to break it to you, but not this time. It's about Takeshi. It's
all about him. He's the one I want. I want to see him humiliated and broken,
his pride shattered and his ego devastated. I want to see him run away
like a child who's been beaten up by the local bully and knows he can
never get revenge. I want to see him in the same shape you're in right
now."

The last statement hit Ranma almost as badly as Takeshi's blows had.
Almost. "So you're only helping me to get at Takeshi?"

"Yes."

"How do I know I should trust you?"

"You shouldn't. I'm not trustworthy."

The frankness surprised Ranma. "Then why would—"

"Because as I said, you're not my target. I have no interest in
you beyond what you can do to Takeshi for me, things I cannot myself do,
for reasons I choose not to explain. Suffice to say, Takeshi has managed
to anger me in a way that no one has for more years than even your father
has been alive. He has enraged me so much that I am willing to go to extraordinary
lengths to get back at him in anyway possible. Therefore, I am willing
to bestow upon you, free of my usual fee, the ability to avenge yourself
upon him."

There was something about the way the man said 'fee' that set Ranma's
nerves on edge. "Your usual fee?"

"Why get into specifics?" the man asked.

"Because I don't even know your name, and I seem to have bad luck
with strange people that enter my life," Ranma countered.

The old man seemed to weigh upon what Ranma said. "Names have power,
boy. Let us just say that I am the one that can see into your soul with
a single glance. I can see all that you desire, all that would make your
life complete and satisfy those urges which lurk in the heart of every
man. I have the ability to grant unto you those things that would make
you complete. I am all you ever need, the only one you can turn to, the
only one that would answer your prayers, no matter how light or dark they
are."

"I'm not calling you all that."

"Fine. You may refer to me as Sifler."

Ranma looked more closely at the old man. The stranger might have appeared
Japanese, but the name certainly wasn't. More suspicious than ever, Ranma
asked, "And how would you go about making me tough enough to take
on Takeshi?"

The old man gave a dramatic sigh. "If you must know, I would boost
your abilities far beyond what they are now. You would be faster, more
resilient, and more powerful than ever before. It would be permanent too,
so you would have no fear of them giving out on you at a critical juncture.
And I as said, I would waive my usual fee for imbuing you with these abilities.
What do you have to lose? All I ask of you is that you defeat Takeshi
immediately with your newfound enhancement."

"And what do I have to do to get all these enhanced abilities? Drink
a magic potion?"

Sifler scoffed. "Hardly anything so cliché. All you need to do is
shake my hand and the pact will be made."

Ranma considered the offered hand. It sounded good on the surface. A
free ticket, and hadn't he earned one after all the crap he had to put
up with over the last few months? For a change, someone else was ticking
people off instead of him. Shouldn't Takeshi reap the whirlwind the way
Ranma always had to? It was easy to believe that egotistical jerk had
done something to piss the old man off so, hadn't he just made Ranma more
angry than perhaps he had ever been since getting his curse? It would
just be a case of Takeshi getting his. All he had to do was shake on it.

But, it was all so strange. Too strange. Ranma knew nothing about this
man, and hadn't he gotten into trouble before an assuming something would
work out in his favor when it didn't? It was too much. Ranma turned away.
"Nah. I'll get the old ghoul to teach me a new kick-butt technique.
Thanks anyway." He began to walk off in the direction of the Nekohantan.

"It won't work."

Ranma almost continued walking, but Sifler's voice held a taunting edge
to it rather than the frustration Ranma would have expected. Curious,
he turned around. "What do you mean?"

"Khu Lon does not have any techniques that she could teach you that
would enable you to give Takeshi more than a ten minute fight before you
fell."

"How do you know that?"

Sifler laughed, a dead sounding thing that rose the hackles on the back
of Ranma's neck. "I can see bits and pieces of the future, boy, possible
outcomes, if you like. I know Takeshi, and I know you. He's like you,
in many ways. In too many ways, for you to ever hope to defeat him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Again the old man turned serious. "That he's like you: arrogant
to the extreme, believing that the world revolves around him, desperate
to prove himself the best in the world of martial arts. His—"

"I don't have to take this." Ranma turned to go again.

Sifler continued. "His school is as adaptive as yours. He's able
to learn techniques with the an even more inhuman speed than you possess.
He has a hunger for more knowledge that has led him into conflicts with
many martial artists, and the ability to come out on top in the end due
to his own unbreakable resolve. He possesses a basically good spirit and
a somewhat egocentric form of honor. Unfortunately for you, he's also
a few years older than you and already better in martial arts. Think of
what you would be like eight years form now. The edge he possesses over
you cannot be overcome. Not by any ancient Amazon techniques, nor those
of your own school, including other more dangerous techniques that Happosai
has developed that he would never give to you so long as he possessed
free will. Barring Takeshi converting to pacifism, you will never be able
to defeat him. My way is the only path that has a chance of success."

Ranma heard the words and considered what Sifler was saying. Could he
really see into the future, or was it all a set up for him to let this
strange, and terribly disturbing old man, do something to him?

Ranma shook his head. "No way. Find another sucker. I'm out of here."
He turned to go again.

"Interesting. I didn't think you had the strength of character to
accept being second best for the rest of your life. I applaud your resolve."

The words sounded sincere, but Ranma knew what meaning was really behind
them. All he could focus on was those two words, 'second best.' His mind
went back to the events that had unfolded this morning.

Takeshi, smirking at him in anticipation for a challenge, then anger
that Ranma was so weak.

Everyone watching him, believing him to be helpless, no different from
Kunou.

Akane begging his opponent to show him mercy.

Never again.

Spinning on his heel, Ranma turned around, held out his hand, and said,
"Do it."

Sifler firmly grabbed the offered hand and pumped it once. The next moment
seemed to stretch into eternity as Ranma found himself placed in a higher
state of agony than was humanly possible to experience. It was as different
from the pain he had suffered from a broken rib as that injury was from
a mosquito's bite. It was enough to make him wish he was dead, and if
the pain had not immobilized him, he might have considered ripping out
his own throat with his hands.

"Oh, did I forget to mention the enhancement process would hurt?"
And this time Sifler did not attempt to hide the contempt in his voice.
"You're lucky I need you sane for this."

Ranma felt the pain slide away, the memory of it torn from his mind just
as suddenly as it came. Within moments, he couldn't remember what exactly
it was that he had felt. All that was left was a vague sense of relief.

"It's complete." Sifler told him.

Regaining his feet, Ranma took an assessment of his physical condition.
"I feel the same."

"That will pass as you move and your body metabolizes the change.
If you hurry to the school as fast as you can, you will be in peak condition
when you get there."

"Everyone will be at class."

Sifler shook his head. "Someone pulled the fire alarm before classes
actually started. Everyone is still outside, including Takeshi, who's
hitting on that Sayuri girl your fiancée is friends with. He has a taste
for younger Japanese girls."

"How do you know that's going on? You've been here the entire time?"

"Does it really matter?" Sifler countered.

Ranma supposed it didn't. He shrugged as his response.

"Fine. Now why don't you run along now and show that arrogant ass
what you can do?"

As Sifler finished his suggestion, Ranma felt a sudden overwhelming compulsion
to do exactly what the old man said. Not questioning it, and being a man
of his word in any case, he followed the compulsion and raced towards
the school at top speed.

As Ranma ran, he felt something happen to his body. With each leap he
took, he felt more alive and powerful than ever. All that Sifler had said
was true. With every leap and bound, more energy course through his system.
He could have beaten Saffron without the Gekkaja if he had felt like this.
The old man had certainly lived up to his end of the bargain. Ranma felt
invincible.

His last effortless leap covered twenty meters and cleared the brown
stone wall surrounding the school. He changed his landing point in mid-trajectory
as he spotted his target standing away from the majority of students milling
about, still chatting with Sayuri. It was just as Sifler had said. Ranma
briefly took note of Akane worriedly looking in the direction he had originally
departed. Seeing her brought a smile to his face. Just wait until she
saw the new him in action. She would never have to plead for someone not
to beat him up again.

"Hey, Takeshi! Time for round two!" Ranma gave Takeshi credit.
The man fell into a defensive posture the instant he heard the challenge,
not that it would do him any good. Another side effect of the boost made
itself known as the fight started. Time itself seemed to slow down, though
Ranma instinctively understood it was only his perception of time that
had changed.

Ranma was rewarded with Takeshi's startled look a split second before
his feet impacted with his target's stomach. The startled look was replaced
with that of pain as Takeshi found himself knocked flying backward across
the schoolyard and into the wall surrounding it, smashing a man-sized
hole in the process.

Satisfied the fight would now be far enough away from the spectators,
Ranma allowed Takeshi to regain his wind and his bearings. There was no
way he would have anyone accusing him of winning because of a cheap shot.

The surprised expression Takeshi wore amused Ranma almost as much as
his next words. "Saotome? What happened to you?"

"I got better real fast." Satisfied his opponent was ready
for the massacre to follow, Ranma truly went on the offensive since the
first time they had met. The battle went much like before, only with the
roles reversed as Takeshi found his attacks easily thwarted and his defenses
completely insufficient to ward off Ranma's attacks.

Ranma, for his part, did not unleash everything he had at first. He was
still learning the limits of his abilities, and Takeshi was as good a
measuring stick as any. Also there was the fact Takeshi was using some
technique to make himself appear twice as tall as before. But it would
make no difference in the end. Ranma knew he would be victorious.

As the fight progressed, Ranma's advantage grew. At first there was some
caution, but within the first couple of minutes, it became obvious Ranma
was as far superior to Takeshi as he was to Kunou before the day started.
To add insult to injury, he even employed some of the exact same attacks
Takeshi had used against him earlier, Takeshi having as much success avoiding
them as Ranma had. The ego and pride which had been so horribly damaged
healed as quickly as Ranma's body did to the few blows he allowed Takeshi
to land. Once satisfied he had picked on his foe enough, Ranma decided
to end things. He leaped back to get some room to employ his final technique.

Sensing what Ranma was about to do, Takeshi summed what remaining strength
he had and crossed his arms.

"Supreme Moko Takabisha!" Ranma roared as he unleashed a blast
that was ten times the size of the original.

"Raging Abyssal Vortex!" Takeshi bore the full force of the
attack once again. At first, his arms seemed to soak up the chi, even
as impressive as the amount was. However, just as Ranma's confidence started
to waver, the vortex that sucked down the energy seemed to slow. A moment
later, some of the blue of the Supreme Moko Takabisha leaked out the back,
highlighting Takeshi's form. An instant later the vortex collapsed, allowing
the full force of the blast through to strike Takeshi's form. The excess
energy flowed past him, leveling the lower part of one of the school walls.
Both stone and flesh collapsed at the same time to the ground, the only
difference being in the amount of dust each kicked up when landing.

"All right!" Ranma shouted as he leaped a full ten meters straight
up in the air before gently floating to the ground as light as a feather
through some ability even he wasn't aware of. Victory, and an easy one
at that, was his. He would have felt guilty about it if Takeshi had not
been such an arrogant jerk and deserved the humbling experience.

Trademark smirk in place, Ranma turned to the awestruck crowd, Akane
at the front of them. There was only silence as everyone stared in mute
astonishment at the tableau before them. Ranma said, "Now you see
who the real martial artist is, don't ya?"

The solitary sound of clapping coming from behind Ranma caught his attention.
He turned to see the old man, Sifler, present. He was standing close to
Takeshi, who was slowly, painfully, regaining his feet. Ranma allowed
himself to be impressed by the martial artist's fortitude. It took a lot
to recover so quickly from a beating that thorough.

"You! Now it all makes sense!" Takeshi gasped.

A smile more cruel than any Ranma had ever seen spread across Sifler's
mouth. "Yes, it does, doesn't it?"

Ranma watched Takeshi ball his fist up, as though he were about to attack
the old man. Just as quickly it appeared, the fist vanished, though Takeshi
remained as tense as a coiled spring. "What game are you playing
at this time?"

"The same game I always play: the damnation game. And now I have
the advantage, you arrogant, pompous fool. I told you you would pay for
trying to make me look the part of the fool. Now our positions are reversed,
and I am the only one that can give you want you want. The very meaning
you gave to your meaningless life has been taken from you. You are no
longer the best. If things remain as they are now, you can never be the
best, as would have been your previous fate. Finally you have encountered
one who is not merely better than you, but will always remain so since
he is so much like you, driven by the same desire to be the best. Saotome
has the edge, now and perhaps forever depending on what you are willing
to sacrifice for your art."

"And what price did you extract from him to give him the advantage?"
Takeshi asked.

"Why, nothing at all. I gave him his new abilities free of charge."
And Sifler laughed, a cold, cruel thing that was thousand times more disturbing
than Kodachi's own laugh. It was a sound that would haunt every person
that heard it to the end of their days.

"Damn you!" Takeshi raged.

"No. You tried and failed. Now it's my turn."

Ranma sensed a surge of chi through the young man, a level that was close
to Ranma's own power levels, as amazing as it seemed. But the surge faded
as quickly as it came. Still, Takeshi appeared to be ready to lunge for
Sifler's throat in a heartbeat, and Ranma didn't think he would try to
stop him if it should happen.

There was a taunting edge to Sifler's voice as he said, "There is
a way you can regain the mantle of the best there ever will be in your
lifetime. It's easy. All you have to do is give me what I want."

Takeshi pointed an accusing at Ranma. "You mean you'll make me like
him?"

"Not exactly. Since you would be giving me something in exchange,
you would not suffer from the same side effects he did."

That caught Ranma's attention. Side effects? What side effects? He felt
fine. He used his new abilities to sense the condition of his body: it
was in perfect health. "What side effects?"

"Shut up, you irrelevant sack of flesh!" Sifler shot back.

"I am not irrelevant!"

But Sifler had already returned his attention to Takeshi. The old man's
voice changed, somehow carrying both the sweetest of honey and most rancid
of carrion. "Think about it. All your life, since as far back as
you can remember, you have wanted to be the best. It is all your life
has been about. You have forsaken family, friends, love, all for the quest
to realize your potential and be the greatest of them all. Unlike so many
others, your tremendous dreams do not exceed your grasp. Yours will be
the name others cheer and hail as champion. You will be the hero that
everyone will aspire to be and others will envy as they discover they
can never be as great as you. But now it will only be that way if you
accept my offer, otherwise you will never know greatness again. You will
always be the one that trails behind Saotome until the end of days unless
you give me what I want."

Ranma looked at Sifler in confusion. "Hey, wait a minute. You said
you'd make it so I was tougher than him. Where do you get off making him
the same offer?"

"This matter no longer concerns you!" The shout Ranma like
a sledgehammer, and he fell to his knees for a moment.

Sifler returned his attention to Takeshi. He held out his hand. "What
I ask for will do you no good in this life. It is a useless, overrated,
ethereal thing that dreamers and fools place false emphasis upon. All
that you should be concerned about are real things, like being the best
again. All you should be concerned about is your greatness. Go ahead.
Take my hand. You'll be happy. I can see what your heart desires, and
this is it."

Slowly, inexorably, Takeshi's hand inched nearer to Sifler's. With every
centimeter that disappeared, the old man's smile grew wider, impossibly
so. Takeshi's fingers were about to brush against Sifler's palm when he
looked deep into Ranma's eyes. For just an instant, Ranma's mind seemed
to brush against Takeshi's, and he felt the decision that was made.

The young man's hand was withdrawn. "No."

"Don't be a fool," Sifler softly intoned, the sensation of
a threat hanging in the air. "This is the culmination of your entire
life. If you turn away from the path of being the best now, everything
you've done up to this point will be rendered meaningless! You have no
choice but to accept, or admit your life has been a lie, one that you
created yourself."

Backing away, Takeshi said, "I think I can live with that."

The facial muscles of the old man began to twitch uncontrollably. To
the onlookers, it almost appeared as though there were actually small
objects running back and forth under the skin rather than the simple motion
of tendons and ligaments involuntarily reacting to the man's emotional
state. "Don't you turn away from me! I've bided my time, waiting
for this moment for perfect revenge. And now that it's upon us, you have
to accept. You can't reject my offer. It goes against everything you are.
You can't!"

"Watch me."

Takeshi continued walking backwards, away from the old man. Sifler seemed
unable to follow, as he remained where he was, trying to assert control
over his temper. "Reconsider your actions. There will be no peace
in your life ever again if you walk away from me. You'll never be happy
being second best."

Takeshi made no motion to arrest his backward progress. He cast a deep,
sorrowful look to Ranma. "I realize now I'd never be happy being
the best either. The price is too high."

Sensing the comment directed at him as much as Takeshi, Ranma scoffed.
"Ah, you're just wussing out."

To Ranma's ultimate surprise, Takeshi headed straight for him, then fell
to his knees. "You're right. I'm not prepared to make the sacrifices
for the art you are. I humbly beg your forgiveness for not understanding
that. You are the greatest martial artist I have ever seen." Takeshi's
bowed his head to the ground and left it there.

The show of humility made Ranma uneasy, especially from an opponent that
had, minutes before, been so conceited towards him. "Yeah, okay.
Sure, I accept already. Would you get up? This is kind of embarrassing."

Takeshi did so, backing away from Ranma in a show of respect. As he moved
backward, Akane took his place, the only one of the students that dared
to approach him. There was a look of horror on her face as she stared
at her fiancé. "Ranma, what have you done?"

Her reaction irritated Ranma. What the heck was that supposed to mean?
He looked upward and into her eyes, "I just accepted this offer from
the old guy to help me out, no strings attached. Hey, wait a minute. Why
are you taller too?"

It was only with Akane standing right next to him that he understood
that it was not that Takeshi had somehow increased his height for the
battle, but that Ranma had become impossibly smaller. It was only as he
carefully examined the world around him that he understood that the rush
of power that had filled him had blinded him to the fact that the world's
dimensions had somehow changed. Not just all the people, but everything
was now larger than him, save his clothes, which fit him just as snugly
as before.

Ranma turned to Sifler -whose attention was still completely riveted
upon Takeshi- and snarled out, "What did you do to me?"

Sifler gave a dismissive wave. "I gave you what you wanted: the
ability to defeat Takeshi. I might not have charged you anything for it,
but I never said there would be no drawbacks."

Ranma looked at his hands. They appeared old and wrinkly. "What's
happened to me, Akane? Why am I so short?" Even his voice sounded
different to him, now that he thought about it.

The questions struck Akane to the core of her being. She was barely able
to find her voice. It was hard to believe it really was Ranma before her,
save for those pleading eyes of his. They reminded her of how he looked
when he first discovered what the Cat's Tongue pressure point did to him.
She would never confuse that look of confusion, and pain with another.
"You… you look older and smaller. Sort of like Happosai, but not
that old."

"Old?" Ranma looked at himself on shock. It couldn't be, yet
the truth was before his eyes. He had been tricked. He had wanted to beat
Takeshi, but not like this. Not at that cost. It was all Sifler's fault.
He was the one that had tricked Ranma. He knew what would happen, but
had said nothing so that he could use him against Takeshi. Sifler was
the one that had lied to him, and the old man, or whatever he really was,
would pay.

Ranma ran forward and intended to use his newfound abilities to start
beating on Sifler until he took them away. The instant his hand fell on
Sifler's shoulder, a pain shot through Ranma and he found himself on his
knees, his body jerking in agony.

"I have lived up to my end of the bargain! By the rights of the
Way, you cannot bring harm to me in any way, shape, or form," Sifler
hissed.

"Change him back!" Akane shouted as she lunged at Sifler. However,
her fist went through the old man as though he did not exist. The lack
of tangibility of her target threw her off-balance, and she fell clean
through him. For just a moment, she thought her very soul had been turned
to ice as despair became all that she knew and could feel. But just as
quickly as it held her in its frigid grasp, its hold loosened and the
sensation passed, taking with it most of her hope. Her body was wracked
by uncontrollable shivering, and she wondered if she would ever be warm
again.

Sifler gave her a disdainful glare. "I have had no dealings with
you, Akane Tendou. I am beyond your ability to harm. But you are welcome
to try again, if you so desire. I will not try to stop you."

Akane remained where she was, trembling. Nothing could make her willingly
touch that infinite pit of despair again. Nothing.

"Akane!" Ranma crawled closer to her as his own pain began
to fade away.

Sifler sneered at them. "You lowly worms snivel and whine over such
trivial matters. You got what you wanted, boy. I compacted your form so
that it could use its energy more efficiently, as well as increasing your
physical attributes. It's similar to what your master Happosai and the
Elder Cologne have done to themselves over the years so that they remain
fit. Who cares if you lose half of your lifespan in the bargain? What's
fifty years of life and a foot in height if it means being the best martial
artist in the world, and that is exactly what you are? Oh, maybe not at
the moment. You'll still have a few years to learn enough to beat anyone,
but so long as you stay alive, you will eventually become the mightiest
martial artist on the planet. So cease your whining and embrace what you
have always dreamed of achieving."

For just a moment, there was an immense feeling of satisfaction in Ranma
as he sensed the truth to Sifler's words. Then his eyes fell on Akane,
and the sorrow that she held there. In an instant what satisfaction he
felt was gone, and Ranma knew it would never return. And almost as if
Sifler sensed the joy die, so did his amusement grow, though the pall
of Takeshi's rejection still gave everything darkness to his mien.

Ranma gave Akane a pleading look. "I'll find a way to change back."

"There is no way to undo my magic, and in the name of the Ultimate
Darkness, that is the whole truth. Oh, you can spend the rest of your
limited existence in a fruitless search, I would find it amusing, but
you won't find a cure, since there isn't one to be found." Sifler's
mood seemed to lighten, which made the miasma of desolation surrounding
everyone grow. Even Ranma, who had never truly given up before, could
sense the truth behind his words, and despair began to consume him as
well.

Akane looked at Ranma in indecision. Then the moment of doubt, passed
as she knew what she had to do. She smiled at him, then moved confidently
towards Sifler.

Ranma understood what she intended and lunged forward. "No!"

It was too late. Akane came within arm's reach and held out her hand.
"I offer you what you wanted from Takeshi if you'll restore Ranma
to his normal form."

Takeshi moved to intercept her as well. "Don't be stupid, girl!
There are things worse than death!"

Neither would be able to stop her in time, both sensed Sifler's interference
in that. But much to everyone's surprise, the old man merely stared at
Akane's offered hand. He laughed, and it was the most vile thing he had
issued forth yet, for it was devoid of the one thing that had been -though
in infinitesimal quantities- in the others: it lacked hope.

"What fools you mortals make. You place false value on your own
worth, Akane Tendou. A hell of your own making is worth ten in the pits
of perdition in the eternal beyond. I reject your useless gesture, and
laugh as you are forced to accept your inadequacy. I have given a gift
freely, and will not take it back. I might not have accomplished my goals
on this day, but none can say that I am the one who lost."

He bowed before all present, then turned and began to walk away in the
direction from whence he came. None could follow him; everyone knew it
would do no good. Nothing could prevent thing called Sifler from leaving
when it wanted to.

It was just as he was almost out of sight that the words drifted back,
floating on the air, sounding as though they were being spoken from a
man that stood next to them rather than a being nearly a quarter mile
away. All could hear the words, though all knew they were for the ears
of one man alone.

"You willingly, if unknowingly, exchanged one passion for another,
and so must live with the die you have cast. From now until the end of
your days, you will never be second best ever again."

Author's notes: Probably should have gone over it one more time, but
I was eager to post this since I'll be at Otakon this weekend and wanted
to get this out before then. I know the idea and theme have been used
before. That was where the 'Soul of Ice' reference comes from. It's a
fic by Matthew Lewis (much better than this), but I can't blame him for
this since I believe it came to me before I read it. There is something
else I have in mind I CAN blame Matt for since he was the one that issued
the challenge, but it might be for the best that that fic not ever come
to light. But in the case of this piece, the blame rests entirely upon
my shoulders. This one felt a little off, though it might be because the
ending waxes a little too melodramatic, even for my tastes. Anyway, hope
you enjoyed it, even if it was another downer fic. I seem to be doing
quite a few of these lately.